One of my favorite plants. Even if I didn't like the taste, I'd grow it as an ornamental. Lovely burgundy vines with heart shaped glossy dark green red-veined leaves, interesting purple berries. Abundant producer through hot summer when normal spinach is gone. Easy to wash flat leaves and stack for freezing. Good for folks who can't have regular spinach for medical reasons (Parkinson's patients, etc). We don't eat it raw, but use it in all our cooked spinach recipes. Especially pretty growing on a trellis with snake melons. Highly recommended.

Fun to grow, gave as gifts and had many people mad that I had not gifted them with a plant. Very pretty bright pink flowers in the late summer. Have ordered again and now is a must grow for my garden and for spring time gifts.

I was amazed at how quickly these grew. Germination rate was very good for me. The leaves are good added to a salad or other recipes. I never tried cooking them though so I can't speak for that. It is a vining plant and it grows little stalks that eventually turns into deep colored berries, but, the very early immature green stalks as really good to eat. It produced a massive amount of berries which each contain a seed. Saved some seeds but all my plants have survived in my climate and to have a new perennial vegetable added to the garden is a success in my book.

I was looking for a spinach that doesn't bolt and would grow when it got warm here in Western Colorado. I started this doors then put it out after the last frost date. It just sat there for months! One plant did finally climb the fence, but not enough to do anything with. Will go back to regular spinach. I have tried New Zealand spinach, it not crazy about the "salty" taste.

I love this plant. I think it tastes great raw although some think it tastes like Okra with the slime. But I eat Okra raw too so no big deal for us. This is growing in my greenhouse this winter inside my aquaponics system.
My question is that it looks like the plant has black looking berries on it. What are these? Are they edible?